MSc

The study entitled “Comparative analysis of vocational training programmes of Krishi Vigyan Kendras” had its main objective, to assess and compare the rate of adoption of acquired skill for livelihood security of trainees from KVK Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram and inventorization of vocational trainings conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. The study also focused on identifying perceived training need along with constraints and profile characteristics of trainees. The sample of the study comprised of 150 respondents i.e., 75 respondents each from KVK Kollam and KVK Thiruvananthapuram. From both the KVKs, five common trainings with maximum number of trainees were selected and from each of these trainings fifteen respondents were selected. The selected vocational trainings included friends of coconut, agro machinery and other equipment’s, mushroom cultivation, organic input production and value addition and processing techniques. The study was conducted in the academic year 2017 -19.
Profile characteristics of the respondents in the study area were collected and analysed. Out of 150 respondents, a greater percentage of respondents were middle aged (60.66%) and females (61.33%). About 72.66 per cent of the respondents were with higher secondary education and above. There were no respondents coming under the category of primary level education. In case of annual income, about 63.33 per cent of the respondents belonged to medium level income group (Rs. 50000-100000). A major portion of the trainees of Thiruvananthapuram KVK belonged to medium to high income category whereas trainees of Kollam KVK belonged to medium to low income level. Half of the respondents (50.66%) had a family size of two to four members and 42.66 per cent had a family size of four to six members. As high as 62.66 per cent were having medium level of innovativeness and they were adopting the technology only after others tried it


successfully on their farm. About 30.66 per cent of the trainees of Thiruvananthapuram KVK showed higher innovativeness while in case of Kollam only 12 per cent of the trainees showed higher innovativeness. Results revealed that male respondents were more innovative than female. Nearly half of the respondents were frequently getting information regarding agriculture and allied sectors from the mass media like television and newspapers and from the informal sources like family and peer groups. Majority of the respondents consulted the formal sources when there was a problem. More than forty per cent of the respondents (44.66 %) attended five training programmes or more and 56.66 per cent of the trainees had medium level of social participation and only four per cent had high social participation.
The results showed that training efficiency of KVK Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram were higher and it was about 81.33 and 88 per cent respectively. Trainees of Thiruvananthapuram KVK had higher scientific orientation and risk orientation than trainees of Kollam KVK. Most of the respondents (90%) were satisfied with the trainings conducted and in case of Thiruvananthapuram KVK 94.66 per cent of respondents were highly satisfied whereas in case of Kollam KVK 85.33 per cent were satisfied. Nearly three fourth (74.66%) of the total respondents showed high positive attitude towards the KVKs. About 68 per cent and 81.33 per cent of the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram KVK trainees had higher positive attitude respectively.
Nearly half of the respondents moderately adopting the technologies and only 19.33 per cent showed higher rate of adoption. The training wise rate of adoption, in friends of coconut showed that cultivation practices (land preparation, spacing) and use of climbing equipment’s were comparatively fully adopted by most of the trainees of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Most of the respondents of both KVKs had discontinued or not adopting the manure and fertilizer application and pest and disease management practices. Agro - machineries for garden lands showed a higher rate of adoption in comparison to low land machineries irrespective of the location. More than half of the trainees were not


adopting the maintenance skills. Half of the trainees of KVK Thiruvananthapuram were using plant protection equipment’s whereas, it was nearly 40 per cent at KVK Kollam. There was not much significant difference in the rate of adoption of agromachineries and equipment’s between the two KVKs. Considering the different components of training on mushroom cultivation, better adoption rate was shown by trainees of Thiruvananthapuram KVK. In case of trainings on organic input production and processing and value addition, there was not much difference in the rate of adoption of KVK Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.
Short duration of training programme, lack of awareness of training programmes, lack of adequate follow up were ranked as the first three major constraints by the trainees of Kollam KVK, whereas, lack of awareness of trainings was the most serious constraint faced by respondents of Thiruvananthapuram KVK, followed by lack of adequate follow up, short duration of the programme. Nursery management technique was ranked first in training needs by respondents of Kollam KVK, followed by value addition and post-harvest technologies, training on agro machineries and other equipment’s and organic input production respectively. Respondents of Thiruvananthapuram KVK placed training on agro machinery and other equipment’s at the top and was followed by mushroom cultivation, value addition and post-harvest technologies and bee keeping.
From the findings of the study it can be concluded that both the KVKs were conducting well organized training programmes for improving the knowledge, skill and attitude of the farming community. Almost half of the respondents from both the KVKs were moderately adopting the technologies and no significant difference was observed in the rate of adoption of technologies by the trainees of both KVKs. Coming to the major training needs of the farmer trainees it includes training on agro machinery and other equipment’s, mushroom cultivation, value addition and post-harvest technologies and bee keeping. The major constraints faced by the trainees include short duration of vocational trainings, lack of awareness on training programmes and lack of adequate follow up.